The reverberations of Alexisonfire’s influence drip through almost every inch of modern heavy music.
It’s fair to say the world hasn’t spun on its axis quite right since the chorus of ‘Boiled Frogs’ reigned with a vengeance over a clergy of faithful worshippers, hungry for the wisdom spat by the mighty Dallas Green. Faces haven’t been melted quite as effectively since the spattering lead lines that cradled their excellent second record Watch Out!
In 2015, the band announced their return onto the live circuit. Alexisonfire’s die-hard fanbase were sent into disarray, relishing the thought of witnessing the monolithic clan of musicians once again. Australia was treated to the band’s prowess in early 2017, with the band making their way to the mecca of heavy music itself, Unify Gathering.
Alexisonfire – ‘Young Cardinals’ Live at Unify Gathering 2017
“I feel like in Australia we kinda stick to the major cities and it was cool to get out into the country a bit and I didn’t know this was just sort of spectacular. We had so much fun, that was a really positive tour. It just was a great time in Australia, it’s my favourite place to tour,” said historically ferocious screamer George Pettit, reminiscing on the band’s 2017 return to Australia, a constant hub of love and adoration for the legendary act.
Earlier this year, excitement bubbled in the Alexisonfire camp as the band geared up to release their first single in nine years, ‘Familiar Drugs’.
Like all rock bangers, the song was birthed out a rollicking, driving and almost forgotten riff.
“I had almost no recollection of the track. It was Dallas that came with it and it wasn’t necessarily the track, it was like this riff. The story that Dallas told me was that he found an old phone in one of his drawers and he plugged it in and he was going through the voice notes and there was a guitar riff. He was like..”Oh yeah. Yeah. That’s a good one. Let me play that”.
“When we do get together it is productive. ‘Familiar Drugs’ is the first offering birthed from this.”
It’s kind of got stuck in his head and he just kept playing it, and then we started playing shows and we have to do sound checks and after soundcheck, we’re all standing around all of our instruments. It’s the obvious thing and Dallas starts playing the riff and Wade, has a sister riff to that riff. That’s where the elements were put together and it just kind of rolls from there and that’s kind of how Alexisonfire writes music.”
‘Familiar Drugs’ leans into the band’s strengths in every which way without having to rely on old tricks. It folds and rolls with groovy and mysterious emotion in every crevice. Dissonance drenches the off-kilter chorus that only provides some ease to the tension built in the bluesy verses. It’s built for arenas and festival mainstages, where the band belongs.
“We don’t have all the time that we used to where we could just play. We don’t really have the luxury of that scheduling any more studio time, so that’s kind of how things have been going lately. When we do get together it is productive. ‘Familiar Drugs’ is the first offering birthed from this.”
Alexisonfire – ‘Familiar Drugs’
With nostalgia and throwback, nights permeated the pop culture mindset of late, Alexisonfire as a collective, felt the need to establish a new era with ‘Familiar Drugs’. After three years of playing shows, it was time to silence naysayers who may have gathered the idea that the band were back to ride on the success of their legacy.
“We’ve done a few years of just playing shows and I think we all enjoyed that. We were all still really enjoying being around each other and at some point it just felt like OK well if we’re gonna continue to play shows.
We don’t want to become this nostalgia act just playing the show that plays the hits and I mean, as much as that is very fun to do, you want to feel like you’re a current band.I thought I still really enjoyed playing the songs from the old records. You want to feel like you’re capable of making music again.”
Even Pettit admits to feeling both excitement and disappointment towards his own favourite bands who continue to ride off the hype of yesteryear, noting that he hopes Alexisonfire doesn’t fall into the same category.
“I’ve been there and I appreciate the bands that come back. I’ve seen the bands that come back and to accept the festival slot and then I go on and see them and I’m so excited about it, and it’s just not what it was it’s just purely a nostalgia sort of thing. But adversely I’ve also seen the band that comes back and it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
“It’s so fun to reminisce of what was but at the same time, I am feeling quite current”
So I’m hoping we can provide that experience as opposed to the latter. I just don’t want to become that band the band that shows up, you know give the crowd what they want with hear the hits and then moves on.”
In the early 2000s, Alexisonfire shot to the heights of post-hardcore fame, maintaining their status as scene leaders for over a decade. Their self titled debut distilled the schizophrenics of 80s skramz with the agression and power of pummelling hardcore, whilst Watch Out! refined the formula to a catchy, Warped Tour-friendly product, placing them amongst genre heroes like Thrice and Thursday. Crisis is undeniably one of the greatest rock albums of the decade and Young Cardinals is pure anthemic gold.
However, despite years of total musical excellence and adoration, Pettit is more excited for the future than ever – looking back can be fun, but the magic captured by the Canadian clan doesn’t just die out
“I don’t know it makes me feel uncomfortable to use the word legacy. But I guess that’s it. I like to look back positively on my time that we spent like you know slugging it out. You know everybody sits around and tells stories about you know the time we woke up in a van on the side of the highway, in the desert and almost got baked alive.”
It’s so fun to reminisce of what was but at the same time, I am feeling quite current. I feel like I’m excited about what’s next. You know I’m almost more excited about what’s next and then to sit back and think about the past…that’s kind of where I’m at right now.”
Alexisonfire – ‘No Transitory’
Although ‘Familiar Drugs’ was released as a stand alone single, according to Pettit, releasing new music is at the forefront of the band’s mind.
“As of right now like, there’s in the stuff on the banks, every time we get together we write stuff. There’s a lot of music written. I’ll say that and there’s going to be more music coming out. Probably sooner than later. We don’t have any hard dates on anything. But yeah, you know there’s got to be more music that’s really all I can really tell you.
Whether that’s an EP or single or an album, time will tell. But as of right now, I can promise you there will be more music but I don’t know what shape or form it’s going to be.”
With a legacy that spans generations, and a fresh spark and undying energy, Alexisonfire are still rock renegades. They’re lifers, who’ll continue to fight the good fight, and gather those who need a fearless leader.
“Guitar based music has always been there. It just might not be on the television. It might not be on the radio, but that’s good. The best of our culture happens in 200 capacity clubs, happens at independent record stores and so when like you hear someone like, you know the singer of Maroon 5 say nothing’s happening in rock music it doesn’t make sense.”
Punk music is still very much alive. Fucking you know, Metal is still very much alive. It could be anywhere. Just it just might be just might not be you know easily accessible.”
